Gerrit Cole Slowly Easing Yankees’ Postseason Concerns With Diamondbacks Start

The New York Yankees needed to see a better version of Gerrit Cole in his game against the Diamondbacks and he delivered.

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (45) walks in after pitching in the fifth inning of a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gerrit Cole's two-game stretch against the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets raised concerns. With the postseason weeks away for the New York Yankees, Cole, who should be their two starter heading into the postseason, allowed seven home runs and nine earned runs in 11.1 IP. It was a ghastly set of performances, and it may have left the organization wondering how the rest of the season would shake out for their former Cy Young winner.

If there were any questions about Cole's abilities, his start against the 80-74 Arizona Diamondbacks may have alleviated a few worries. It may also have put to rest any internal debates. Cole did allow a home run this time out, but it was just one. Corbin Carroll pulled a 388-foot home run off Cole's bat at 110.7 MPH.

Headed into the postseason, pitching in Game 1 is an easy decision. Aaron Boone needs to hand the ball to Cy Young frontrunner and prospective MVP candidate Cam Schlittler. There's no reason to really overthink that one.

If Cole starts struggling again, though, the question of who the second starter is gets a little trickier. That might still be a conversation worth having if things go differently to close out the year, but for now, if Cole pitches the way he did against the Diamondbacks, there's no reason to save him for another series.

Cole's big test will be against the Tampa Bay Rays, since he lines up to face them in their next series. If he pitches well against them, he'll further solidify his spot as the team's two-starter.

A better outing for Gerrit Cole

When Aaron Boone was asked about Cole after the game, he said he wasn't too worried. He chalked his struggles up to a long season.

"I think a lot of people probably overreacted to a couple of outings that, frankly, are inevitable in a long season," Boone said, according to the New York Post's Greg Joyce. "The reality is he's having an outstanding season, he's throwing the ball really well, and a great pitcher like him is going to be able to make some adjustments when you have a couple where they get to you."

The Carroll blast was Cole's lone blemish. He pitched six innings of two-run ball, striking out six, allowing no walks, and four hits.

On the back end, he gave up a ton of soft contact. The Diamondbacks had an average exit velocity of 86.8 MPH against him. That's way down from his last two starts, when batters averaged 96.8 MPH against him.

This is the type of Cole the Yankees need in the postseason. Who knows what's happening with Aaron Judge, so the rotation and bullpen have to essentially be perfect if this team is going to make any noise this postseason.

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